Journey to the West: Break the entire Western Heaven!

Sha Wujing asked, "Second Brother, how do you know those are not ordinary clouds?"

Zhu Ganglie said, "Who has ever seen proper clouds that are red and blushingly plump? I bet there's definitely a female demon there."

The speaker was careless, but the listener was keen. Tang Sanzang's eyes suddenly emitted golden light and he exclaimed, "Run, Little White!"

The White Dragon Horse broke into a frantic gallop...

In the distance, within the red clouds in the sky, a pair of eyes slightly furrowed.

"They say that eating Monk Tang's flesh grants immortality, but that plump white guy riding on the white horse, why does he seem so foolish... Will I become an idiot if I eat him?"

At that moment, Sun Wukong suddenly looked up and locked eyes with him.

The demon inside the red clouds cried out in alarm, "What a formidable monkey!"

During the moment of speaking, the red clouds dispersed.

Seeing the red clouds vanish, Tang Sanzang halted the White Dragon Horse and smacked his lips, asking, "Did that female demon run away?"

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, maybe it was just a female demon passing by. She took one look at us and probably didn't fancy us, so she continued on her way."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang looked at Wukong, Zhu Ganglie, and the others with a disdainful face and said, "As I thought, having a few ugly ones like you around really holds me back! That's it, you lot keep your distance from me, don't get so close, lest you scare away any passing female demons again."

Wukong, Zhu Ganglie, and the others could only helplessly walk away a kilometer distance, watching Tang Sanzang's silhouette from afar.

Tang Sanzang rode the White Horse up the mountain, shouting as he went, "Is there anyone on the mountain? I am the frail Tang Sanzang from the Great Tang, with a fair and tender complexion!"

His voice echoed through the mountains, sadly to no reply.

Just as Tang Sanzang was feeling despondent, that red cloud appeared again.

Tang Sanzang slapped the horse's rump and ordered, "Little White, charge!"

The White Dragon Horse immediately dashed towards the red cloud...

Within the red cloud, a naive voice rang out, "This monk really isn't smart, a mere mortal who dares to stray from the group and wander about all by himself, he's practically inviting me, the Saint Infant King, to enjoy this bite of Monk Tang flesh!"

Despite saying so, he hesitated, "Such a foolish monk, eating him won't actually make me stupid, will it?"

While hesitating, he saw the monk riding the White Horse charging straight towards him.

At the same time, he felt Wukong's gaze upon him again, and he thought, "Wait, that's not right, if they've made it all the way from the Great Tang to my Withered Pine Streamlet, even if they've encountered nothing but wine sacks and rice bags along the way, they wouldn't be so utterly lacking in safety awareness. This must be a trap they've set, aiming to lure the demon out and then surround and annihilate it! I can't just barge in, I must outwit them!"

With that thought, the red cloud dissipated once more.

Seeing the red cloud disappear again, Tang Sanzang immediately flared up, "Just now it was Wukong and the others being too ugly that scared off the female demon, what happened this time?"

After saying that, Tang Sanzang looked down at the White Dragon Horse beneath him.

The White Dragon Horse said, "Master, I'm just a horse, I don't affect the overall attractiveness..."

"So you're saying I'm too ugly?" Tang Sanzang narrowed his eyes, staring at the White Dragon Horse.

The White Dragon Horse, as if envisioning the scene of this bald monk turning to horse meat, hastily said, "Master, I think, perhaps I'm the ugly one here..."

Tang Sanzang said, "At least you're aware of it!"

"Save me!"

Just then, a voice arose from the forest.

Tang Sanzang and Bai Longma both paused, eventually shaking their heads together, "Don't monsters have any creativity these days? Along the way, nine out of ten monsters start off by screaming for help..."

"Master, we don't need to bother with this, do we?" Bai Longma said.

Tang Sanzang shook his head, "Let's go have a look, see what kind of monster it is. If it's a tasty one, it won't seem too shabby when we're entertaining the lady demons later."

Bai Longma silently recited a prayer for the monster, "Amitabha..."

Man and horse followed the sound, and saw a large tree in the forest, with a child in a red bellyband hanging from it.

The child was tied up and dangling there, yelling, "Help, oh venerable monk, save me!"

Tang Sanzang immediately went over and looked the child up and down.

The child also scrutinized Tang Sanzang, continuing to shout, "Venerable monk, save me, please save me."

The child was thin and sallow, not at all good-looking, but those bright, large eyes hinted that with a full belly and proper care, he could be a cute little fellow.

Tang Sanzang asked, "Kid, where are you from, turning into a monster like this? You're living too hard, all starved like this."

The child was startled, then cried, "Venerable monk, I'm not a monster. There's a Withered Pine Streamlet to the west of the mountain, and a village beyond it, that's where I'm from. My great-grandfather's family name was Hong, known for amassing a fortune, hence the name 'Hong the Millionaire'. Long since he passed away, leaving his wealth to my father.

Lately, extravagance has wasted our fortunes, and now they call us 'Hong the Hundred Thousand'. My father befriended brigands from all around, lending out gold and silver in hopes of interest. Who knew those stateless rogues would swindle it away, no principal or interest returned. My father swore an oath, vowing not to lend a cent more. Those borrowers, destitute with no recourse, banded into gangsters. They came in daylight and violence, storming our home, plundering our wealth to their heart's content; they killed my father; seeing my mother was somewhat attractive, they abducted her to be some bandit's wife.

My mother couldn't bear to leave me, held me to her breast and begged desperately. The robbers decided to take me to the mountains, preparing to kill me. It was only thanks to my mother's pleas and the threat of her own life that I was spared. But I was hung up on this tree with a rope, left to freeze and starve to death.

To where they've taken my mother, I do not know. I've been hanging here for three days and nights.

I don't know what good deeds I've done in past lives, but in this one, I've met a venerable monk. If you would kindly extend your great compassion and take me home, I'd sell my life in servitude to repay this debt of gratitude. Even if I'm buried under the yellow sands, I'll never forget it."

The child spoke with such pathos, tears streaming down his face. But when he looked up, he found the bald monk sitting on a stool, legs crossed, cracking seeds, thoroughly engrossed in the tale!

Speechless for a moment, the child exclaimed, "Venerable monk, I'm telling the truth!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Whether it's true or not isn't important. Is there more to the story?"

The child: "@#￥..."

Tang Sanzang said, "Does that mean there is no more?"

The child: "Well, I haven't finished since the venerable monk showed up..."

Tang Sanzang stood up and said, "If there's no more, then it's useless... Wukong!"

Sun Wukong appeared in an instant, "Master, what do you command?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Lend me your Jingu Bang for a moment!"

Sun Wukong handed over the Jingu Bang, "Master, what are you going to do with it?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Play ball!"

Having said that, Tang Sanzang took the Jingu Bang and headed toward the child. The child, with a bad feeling in his heart, yelled, "Venerable monk, what are you going to do?"

"I told you, play ball!" Tang Sanzang replied. Then he swung the Jingu Bang at the child with all his might!